Special UN envoy arrives in Myanmar

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Special UN envoy arrives in Myanmar 


AFP 14 October 1999.   United Nations special envoy Alvaro de Soto arrived
in Myanmar Thursday, UN officials said, on a five-day mission expected to
focus on political reform. 

De Soto, the UN assistant secretary general for political affairs, was
scheduled to hold a working lunch
with Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung after arriving, sources said. 

During his visit De Soto was also expected to meet National League for
Democracy (NLD) leader and
Nobel peace laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, they said. 

The UN is believed to be considering linking World Bank aid to political
reform in an effort to prod the
junta into talks with the NLD, and a World Bank representative was expected
to join de Soto's mission.


Much of the international community has suspended non-humanitarian aid to
Myanmar because of its
human rights record and the military junta's refusal to recognise the NLD's
landslide victory in 1990
elections. 

On Friday de Soto was due to meet Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, the
powerful first secretary of the
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the official name of the ruling
junta. 

The UN envoy was also due to hold talks with Home Affairs Minister Colonel
Tin Hlaing and Brigadier
General David Able from the prime minister's office. 

De Soto was scheduled to meet the chairman of the Shan National League for
Democracy, Khun Tun
Oo, along with leaders of some of the former armed ethnic minority groups,
including Nai Shwe Kyin
from the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Zaw Mai of the Kachin Independence
Army (KIA). 

De Soto last visited Yangon in October 1998. 



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